FORGOTTEN AUTHORS

Hedda Gabler

Brian Keene has a Substack he pretty regularly posts to on Sundays. 

https://briankeene.substack.com/

I would like to have a conversation about his topic this week, authors being forgotten.  I’d like to hear what others are thinking or seeing out there in the book world from a fan point-of-view. 

Over the last year or so, Brian has brought this up in various places.  Time is marching across their backs and moving on down the road. And they grow old expecting to have to do nothing themselves to change that. This fires me up because they aren’t paying attention.  They can no longer just sit back and expect not to engage. Curmudgeons want to write and never have to put themselves out there in any meaningful way to continue to invigorate new readers, new fans.  

I have watched and read so many author interviews over the years, from many genres, and every one of the dog-weary elders throw out some gratuitous “I love my fans” bullshit.  They love their fans money. And they love their fans stroking reviews, but we all know, they can’t wait to get back in their hotel room and take off that sweaty, smiling fan-face. 

This isn’t the 70s or 80s or 90s when things were new and engaging with fans was interesting. These older authors just don’t want to make that effort. I get it. It’s exhausting and I can just imagine the occasional douchebag encounter. 

The only efforts I see are, here is my book, buy it. It takes more than that nowadays to stay relevant with so many bright lights and blaring whistles demanding, “look at me!”

I have read Brian, I’ve read F. Paul Wilson. I have no doubt I have read “anonymous”. They are terrific authors.  A good story stays a good story for many reasons.  But they have to engage now. Not just selling. Engaging. They need to draw people in with just fun discussions.  No. They are not show ponies. They are men and women who have sat back on their laurels — expecting to get by with no effort.  

This isn’t a diss, what I’ve written here. I want to shake the shit out of them and say “read the room!”  Your writing is still good, those stories are still good. But selling your words has a new business model now. You don’t have to leave your house anymore.  Maybe you had a marketing machine in full swing once upon a time. But not now. YOU older author, are the machine.  So, just fucking chat with people on anything and everything.  

I don’t expect to see you on TikTok showing me how to do the Charleston, the Twist or Throw-Your-Hip-Out Bop.  

And stop with the
“I can’t because it takes time away from writing.”   

Spend 20 minutes sharing on a blog, message board, Substack, Medium with regularity instead of lamenting being forgotten. You won’t be if you keep your brand out there. 
And as has been pointed out, we’ve lost authors whose works demand we remember them. As fans, we have to do our part too, championing those who aren’t here to do it for themselves. Brian is so generous in this department. Unfortunately his loss has been great but his loyalty has been just as great. 

So, think about what energy you are putting out there. Woe is me or “I’m still here and boy do I have a story to tell you!”

GNTLGNT

.....I will be glad to banter about this, but as I've aged-my world view on authors has narrowed to but a handful....I of course follow Steve, then Joe Hill and Richard and Billy Chizmar-that's it.......